Council tax payers in England face near universal rises on top of increased fees and charges to pay for what in many cases will be reduced levels of local services, according to a survey of local authorities.

It reveals that 97% of local authorities will put council tax up again in April to cope with a growing financial crisis, and the same proportion will raise charges for services such as parking, garden waste disposal and aspects of social care.

The latest State of Local Government analysis reveals widespread despair among councils over their financial health after a decade of austerity policies in which spending has been cut in half and the gap between demand and resources has grown.

More than a fifth of councils said the cuts to frontline services that they would be forced to make in 2020-21 were of a scale and impact that would be noticeable to the general public. One in 10 said shrinking resources meant they were in danger of being unable to meet their legal obligation to deliver statutory services.

Asked which services would have increased fees and charges, councils most commonly mentioned green waste, planning permissions, car parking, leisure and arts centre memberships, burials and cremations and pest control. One replied: All we can get away with.

Three-quarters of councils had no confidence that local government finance arrangements were sustainable, while only 3% were confident that the government would act to halt the council funding crisis, despite increasing pressures on child protection, adult social care and homelessness services.

Jonathan Carr-West, the chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit, a thinktank that carried out the annual survey, said: The state of local government finances is dire. Eight years later and the message continues to be the same, a broken record. It is simply unacceptable that the government has let things get to this point.

He added: This isnt local government asking for more money. This is about a fundamentally flawed system that has been broken for years and the government continually refusing to acknowledge or engage in a proper solution.

Sticking plasters will not solve these critical issues. Our social care system is no longer on the edge, its fallen off the cliff. Our childrens services arent at breaking point, theyre broken. These issues cannot wait another year to be solved.

Andrew Gwynne, the shadow communities secretary, said the survey should be a wake-up call for ministers. The fact is that years of neglect have created this crisis. We need to see urgent action, he said.

In the last few years there have been widespread cuts in some high-profile areas of local government such as Sure Start centres, youth clubs, special educational needs and libraries, as well as in less prominent areas such as planning, family support services and environmental health.

Scepticism that the government will pump more money into local government or even publish its social care funding green paper, delayed since summer 2017 has led many councils to consider alternative income streams, with 75% of surveyed councils reporting that they have borrowed to invest in commercial property schemes.

Two-thirds of councils said the current 3% cap on council tax increases which councils can breach only if they get residents to agree to the rise via a local referendum should be be scrapped to enable them to raise more cash from residents to fund local services.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: Next year, councils in England will have access to 49.1bn the biggest annual real-terms increase in spending power in a decade including an extra 1.5bn for social care. The funding plans provide certainty for councils who are responsible for delivering the services their communities need.

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Councils in crisis with more tax rises and service cuts due - The Guardian

Rentokil Initial plc (LON:RTO)s share price reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as GBX 481.80 ($6.34) and last traded at GBX 481.30 ($6.33), with a volume of 1215948 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 467 ($6.14).

RTO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Rentokil Initial from GBX 470 ($6.18) to GBX 450 ($5.92) and set a sector performer rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a report on Tuesday. Credit Suisse Group downgraded shares of Rentokil Initial to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from GBX 460 ($6.05) to GBX 450 ($5.92) in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. HSBC restated a buy rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Peel Hunt restated a hold rating and issued a GBX 455 ($5.99) target price on shares of Rentokil Initial in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Rentokil Initial currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 446.11 ($5.87).

The company has a market capitalization of $9.08 billion and a P/E ratio of -93.09. The firms fifty day moving average is GBX 463.49 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 449.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 217.72, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Rentokil Initial Company Profile (LON:RTO)

Rentokil Initial plc, through its subsidiaries, provides route-based services in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Pacific, and rest of world. It offers a range of pest control services from rodents to flying insects, as well as to other forms of wildlife management for commercial and residential customers.

See Also: How to interpret the current ratio

Receive News & Ratings for Rentokil Initial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rentokil Initial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Continued here:
Rentokil Initial (LON:RTO) Hits New 1-Year High at $481.80 - Riverton Roll

READING, Pa., Jan. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Ehrlich Pest Control is honored to announce that it has joined forces with Military Makeover with Montel, to participate in remodeling a home belonging to the family of Christopher Hixon, a U.S. Navy veteran and teacher who lost his life in the tragic events of February 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Military Makeover with Montel, which airs nationally on Lifetime Television, is dedicated to helping members of our military and their loved ones. Hosted by talk show legend and military advocate Montel Williams, a veteran of both the Marine Corps and the Navy, this special series enlists conscientious designers, contractors, landscapers, and other home improvement professionals to transform the homes and lives of military families across the country.

As part of Ehrlich's commitment to the Hixon family, a team of Ehrlich Pest experts will provide a comprehensive home inspection and customized pest assessment, install a termite baiting and monitoring system on the exterior of the property, and complete a pre-move in general pest control service for the home. In addition to providing pre and post-construction pest control and termite services for the home, Ehrlich also plans to unveil additional surprises for the Hixon family as part of the reveal.

Mike St. Clair, Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Ehrlich and an Army veteran, was deeply moved by the Hixon family's story and will be on-site during filming to volunteer alongside a group of local Ehrlich Colleagues based in South Florida.

"Christopher Hixon dedicated his life to protecting the lives of others, first through the U.S. Navy, then as a dedicated and beloved teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, doing whatever necessary to protect the students under his care," said St. Clair of the decision to participate in the Military Makeover series. "It is Ehrlich's great privilege to give back to his family and honor his legacy by protecting them and their new home from pests."

"We are proud to take part in the Military Makeover program and extend our gratitude to Debra, Thomas, and Corey, as well as all military families, for the sacrifices they make on behalf of our country," St. Clair added.

The Military Makeover with Montel season dedicated to the Hixon family begins airing in February 2020. In addition to airing on Lifetime, the season will also be streamed on https://militarymakeover.tv/. Check your local listings for details.

ABOUT EHRLICH PEST CONTROLFor nearly a century, customers have trusted Ehrlich Pest Control to protect their families, homes, and businesses from pests and the health threats and damages they can cause. Since its founding in Reading, PA in 1928, Ehrlich has expanded to serve the entire Eastern U.S., with more than 50 offices serving nearly 20 states and the District of Columbia. With its team of highly trained, local experts, Ehrlich provides proactive pest control solutions through monitoring, prevention, and maintenance. Those solutions include general pest control, rodent, termite, bed bug, mosquito, wildlife management, and TAP insulation services, and more. Ehrlich is part of Rentokil, the world's largest pest control company. Rentokil and its companies, including Ehrlich Pest Control, Western Exterminator, and Presto-X Pest Control, provide commercial and residential pest control to customers in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

See original here:
Ehrlich Pest Control Joins Forces With Military Makeover To Protect Dedicated Military Family From Pests - The Wellsboro Gazette

Mechanical and physical controls among the most fascinating in an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. This arsenal involves numerous physical barriers, traps, nets, and other mechanical devices. In Grandpa Coffeys garden, where this author received her earliest garden training, physical removal included two hands and a jar of soapy water. Even a pesty kid can remove Japanese beetles from corn and drop them in a jar. More sophisticated techniques included pulling outermost leaves off a head of cabbage and laying them on the ground as a trap. The next morning, Grandpa Coffey would stomp on the leaves, crushing the snails and slugs he had lured underneath. The glimmer in his eye suggested pest control might even be a little bit fun.

Simple techniques like Grandpa Coffeys still apply in the home garden, but many more have been developed and are available through the garden catalogs readily available this time of year. This week, well take a look at five of the options available to home gardeners, adding a dash of perspective from the world of commercial producers.

Yellow sticky traps: Used to entangle small, flying insects, traditional sticky traps are plastic cards covered with UV-resistant glue, placed just above plant material. For actual control, sticky traps work for thrips, whitefly, and fungus gnats but are often recommended for aphids. While they will catch flying aphids, those with knowledge of aphid biology will use sticky traps as an indicator of presence rather than a management tool. Aphids typically have a winged generation only after a robust population of non-winged aphids has already built up. Winged aphids on a sticky trap means its time for close inspection of all the plants. Recently, die-cut, butterfly-shaped yellow sticky traps have emerged on the market costing $1.50 or more each. Similar results can be obtained with yellow plastic party plates and Vaseline.

Pheremone traps: Pheromones are species specific correct ID will be necessary to match the trap to the job. Insects controlled with pheremone traps include apple codling moth, a serious pest in the Pacific Northwest, and several species referred to as pantry moths. The pheromone traps lure males onto a sticky (hidden) surface, never to be seen again. Females are not attracted to the traps, but they also dont lay any fertilized eggs, since the males have all disappeared. While these traps are extremely effective, control doesnt happen overnight. Females and larvae may persist for some time, a pattern common to many IPM tactics. Success sometimes means having patience to allow less-toxic controls to run their course.

Dried blood: Typically sold under (more pleasant sounding) brand names as a natural repellent to use against rodents, deer and elk. Beef or pork blood is shaken on plants to discourage feeding. Product guidelines suggest the product may be good for anywhere from 1-3 months, depending on formulation. Precipitation impacts longevity in periods of heavy rain, effective time will be drastically reduced. Among the many other repellent products on the market is coyote urine, also creatively named. Many repellents work temporarily, but lose effectiveness as the pest animals acclimate. Rotation of different products can lengthen the effective period. In the case of deer, this control would be combined with a cultural one choosing deer-resistant plants. To maximize effectiveness, combine these with a high fence, a motion detecting light with siren, and a large dog that enjoys night patrols.

Floating row covers: Unlike row covers designed for cold protection, these covers are of lighter, water permeable fabric with good light penetration. Floating row covers are used on low-growing crops to create a barrier between plants and insects. Common uses are on cabbage, against cabbage butterflies, and on spinach and chard against spinach leafminers. Again, combine with another tactic in this case, rotation. Spinach leaf miners pupate in the ground over winter, dropping off the plants after feeding. If spinach is planted in the same place after an infestation, new adults emerging from the soil might get trapped under the row cover. On flowering crops like strawberries, row covers must be removed during bloom to enable pollinator access to the plants.

Bird netting: Another example of a physical barrier, netting in trees can prevent birds from tearing developing fruit from our trees. It takes careful application and removal to avoid tearing nets, and nets are not the best look for trees: this tactic is not everyones favorite. Keeping fruit trees small makes application of the nets, and other aspects of fruit tree management, far easier. In commercial production, numerous tactics have been attempted: air cannons, air dancers (like those on used car lots), reflective mylar streamers. The Western IPM center is currently conducting work on caged apple orchards: read more at https://bit.ly/2UacxEZ.

Nicole Sanchez is horticulture faculty at OSUs Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center. For more information on this or other gardening topics, contact Sanchez at 541-883-7131 or Nicole.sanchez@oregonstate.edu, or attend a Garden Gab session at Leap of Taste, fourth Friday of each month, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Here is the original post:
Five thoughts on mechanical and physical pest management controls - Herald and News

Abolishpestwildlifecontrol is an integrated pest control company that offers the best protection and maintenance solutions available today! We specialize in the fight against ants, spiders, cockroaches, rats, mice, wasps, bees, bed bugs, mosquitoes and much more.

We offer a service for all types of pests, including mosquitoes, ants, spiders, ticks, fleas, accidental invaders, rodents and insect pests, among others. We offer pest control and commercial pest control and we adapt them to better adapt to new needs.

The pest control service includes many types of insects, rodents and other wildlife. ABC can come to your home whenever you want, perform situation analysis and draw up an individual treatment plan to return to your home without parasites.

Ants are common in homes and gardens in the United States. Abc home and commercial will prepare an effective treatment plan and identify the types of ants that cause problems.

Bees and wasps make nests and nests near your home without you realizing it. Painful bites are dangerous for sensitive people who may be allergic. The commercial and commercial recommendation is that professionals choose the substance and carefully remove it to prevent them from shaking and leaving their nests. For bees, Abc home and commercials can refer to beekeepers in the area.

In Texas, there are many types of cockroaches that can invade your home or property. We recommend choosing and destroying them to end a number of highly invasive and hard-to-eliminate species.

Everyone can catch fleas outside and catch ticks. It is important that the professional analyzes the situation and develops a suitable treatment plan because some fleas and ticks are immune to certain types of treatments.

Spiders and scorpions in the San Antonio area can be irritating and sometimes dangerous. It would not be good to find scorpion bark, black widow spider or spider at home. Our certified professionals are trained to kill these spiders.

The climate in San Antonio is conducive to outdoor fun. But when a mosquito bites us, we receive a warning signal in the brain and we decide to act.

In San Antonio and the surrounding area, there are beautiful landscapes and green areas, which unfortunately contain a large variety of rodents and other wildlife that can enter our homes. Fortunately, you can get help with controlling rodents and animals with a call.

Commercial and commercial services are designed to rid your house of pests such as cockroaches, spiders, silverfish, wigs, ants, wasps, rodents and more. We take care of the house, the garage, and the patio and guarantee each of our services. If a problem occurs before the scheduled return date, please contact us and we will return immediately to address the area again.

We use pesticide treatments in all necessary places.

Originally posted here:
Abolish Pest Wild Life Control - The Hear UP

National Pest & Exterminating Supplies is a business unlike any other in the county. For the past two years Zisha Braun and his store have been Rocklands primary provider of pest control chemicals and one of the only services in the county that enables and encourages do it yourself extermination. In this whole area you wont find a place like this says Zisha, whose business has allowed hundreds of Rocklanders to save money on exterminators and still live pest free.

National Pest & Exterminating Supplies is a veritable warehouse of chemicals and traps designed to repel and eliminate every kind of vermin. The store is almost overflowing with supplies and Zisha prides himself on having an industrial grade inventory; he sells to both individuals and commercial clients and is always willing to consult his customers on their best course of action. Were here to help everybody.

Zisha a former school teacher, has made a study of his industry and his shop totally up to date with the newest trends in pest control. There is always room to grow explained the proprietor. His studious approach to the business means that Zisha is always able to provide valuable advice to his clients; he can help them identify exactly what kind of infestation their dealing with, advise them on how to properly combat it and most importantly, let them know when theyll need professional intervention.

Zisha and his staff are proud to provide a service that benefits their community and will happily spend as much time as needed to ensure their customers satisfaction. As he says were here to figure out what your problem is and provide you with exactly what you need, there is a lot of satisfaction in helping people.

exterminating, National Pest & Exterminating Supplies

View post:
Do it Yourself Exterminating - Rockland County Times

The growth of the rodenticides market is driven by a rapid increase in urbanization and industrialization, which create the need for pest and rodent control. Global warming and increase in temperature are the issues of concern since the warmer climate is one of the reasons for the increase in the rodent population in the urban areas, which, in turn, gears the market growth for rodenticides.

New York, Jan. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Rodenticides Market by Type, End-Use Sector ), Mode of Application And Region - Global Forecast to 2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p04259108/?utm_source=GNW

The anticoagulants segment, by type, dominated the market with a larger share in 2018.On the basis of type, the rodenticides market is classified into non-anticoagulant rodenticides and anticoagulant rodenticides.The anticoagulants play a major role in the control of commensal rodents such as Norway rats, ship rats, and house mice.

About 95% of the chemical control of rodents in the US is done using anticoagulants.Depending on the intensity of the dosage and number of doses, they are further categorized into first-generation anticoagulants and second-generation anticoagulants.

The second-generation anticoagulants are more effective, as they provide results after a single dosage and does require second positioning of the product.

The pellets segment accounted for the largest share in 2018.Based on the mode of application, pellets are observed to hold a dominant share in the rodenticides market.Most of the companies offer rodenticide products in the pellet form, as they can be easily used with the coating of baits around them.

Pellets are one of the most cost-effective solid baits and can be kept in bait stations to protect them from the reach of the children when used in residential areas. Apart from pellets, fumigant, spray, and powder modes of application are also used according to the feasibility of the application area.

The urban centers segment, by end-use sector, holds the dominant market share in the rodenticides market.Based on end use, the urban centers segment, not only dominates the rodenticides market but also is projected to hold the largest market share between 2019 and 2025.Urban centers include both residential as well as commercial spaces.

The high pace of urbanization, along with the increasing living standards of the people, leads to intolerance of rodents. Moreover, the development of public hygiene programs in regions like the US and Paris with a larger population living in urban areas, support the growth of the rodenticides market in urban centers.

High growth is projected in the Asia Pacific rodenticides market.The Asia Pacific market is projected to be the fastest-growing market for the period considered for this study.The regions growing concentration of urban population poses a strong potential for rodenticide manufacturers and pest control service providers.

The effects of climate change, and in certain cases, the negligence toward sanitary conditions in urban slums have resulted in multiple disease outbreaks.Improvements in legislation and policies surrounding the requirement of rodent control have benefitted rodent control service providers in the Asia Pacific region.

To meet the increasing demand for food and to reduce the crop damage caused by rodents, the use of rodenticides has increased significantly in the region.

Break-up of Primaries: By Company Type: Tier 1 - 45%, Tier 2 - 30%, and Tier 3 - 25% By Designation: C-Level - 50%, D-Level - 20%, and Others* - 30% By Region: Asia Pacific 40%, Europe - 30%, North America - 15%, South America - 5%, and RoW** - 10%

*Others include sales managers, marketing managers, and product managers.**RoW includes South Africa, Tanzania, the Middle East, and other African countries.

Leading players profiled in this report:

Rodenticide Product Manufacturers: BASF SE (Germany) Bayer (Germany) Syngenta (Switzerland) UPL (India) Liphatech Inc. (US) JT Eaton (US) Neogen Corporation (US) Pelgar International (UK) Senestech Inc. (US) Bell Laboratories (US) Impex Europa (UK)

Rodenticide Service Providers: Rentokil Initial Plc (UK) Terminix (US) Ecolab (US) Anticimex (Sweden) Rollins (US) Truly Nolen (US) Abell Pest Control (Canada)

Research Coverage:The report segments the rodenticides market on the basis of type, mode of application, end-use sector, and region. In terms of insights, this report has focused on various levels of analysesthe competitive landscape, end-use analysis, and company profileswhich together comprise and discuss views on the emerging & high-growth segments of the global rodenticides market, the high-growth regions, countries, government initiatives, drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges.

Reasons to buy this report: To get a comprehensive overview of the rodenticides market To gain wide-ranging information about the top players in this industry, their product portfolios, and key strategies adopted by them To gain insights about the major countries/regions in which the rodenticides market is flourishingRead the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04259108/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

__________________________

Story continues

Clare: clare@reportlinker.comUS: (339)-368-6001Intl: +1 339-368-6001

Read the rest here:
The rodenticides market is estimated at USD 4.7 billion in 2019 and projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.7% to reach USD 5.9 billion by 2025 - Yahoo...

Abolishpestwildlifecontrol is an integrated pest control company that offers the best protection and maintenance solutions available today! We specialize in the fight against ants, spiders, cockroaches, rats, mice, wasps, bees, bed bugs, mosquitoes and much more.

We offer a service for all types of pests, including mosquitoes, ants, spiders, ticks, fleas, accidental invaders, rodents and insect pests, among others. We offer pest control and commercial pest control and we adapt them to better adapt to new needs.

The pest control service includes many types of insects, rodents and other wildlife. ABC can come to your home whenever you want, perform situation analysis and draw up an individual treatment plan to return to your home without parasites.

Ants are common in homes and gardens in the United States. Abc home and commercial will prepare an effective treatment plan and identify the types of ants that cause problems.

Bees and wasps make nests and nests near your home without you realizing it. Painful bites are dangerous for sensitive people who may be allergic. The commercial and commercial recommendation is that professionals choose the substance and carefully remove it to prevent them from shaking and leaving their nests. For bees, Abc home and commercials can refer to beekeepers in the area.

In Texas, there are many types of cockroaches that can invade your home or property. We recommend choosing and destroying them to end a number of highly invasive and hard-to-eliminate species.

Everyone can catch fleas outside and catch ticks. It is important that the professional analyzes the situation and develops a suitable treatment plan because some fleas and ticks are immune to certain types of treatments.

Spiders and scorpions in the San Antonio area can be irritating and sometimes dangerous. It would not be good to find scorpion bark, black widow spider or spider at home. Our certified professionals are trained to kill these spiders.

The climate in San Antonio is conducive to outdoor fun. But when a mosquito bites us, we receive a warning signal in the brain and we decide to act.

In San Antonio and the surrounding area, there are beautiful landscapes and green areas, which unfortunately contain a large variety of rodents and other wildlife that can enter our homes. Fortunately, you can get help with controlling rodents and animals with a call.

Commercial and commercial services are designed to rid your house of pests such as cockroaches, spiders, silverfish, wigs, ants, wasps, rodents and more. We take care of the house, the garage, and the patio and guarantee each of our services. If a problem occurs before the scheduled return date, please contact us and we will return immediately to address the area again.

We use pesticide treatments in all necessary places.

Read the original here:
Something about online reviews and reputation management for business - The Hear UP

Abolishpestwildlifecontrol is an integrated pest control company that offers the best protection and maintenance solutions available today! We specialize in the fight against ants, spiders, cockroaches, rats, mice, wasps, bees, bed bugs, mosquitoes and much more.

We offer a service for all types of pests, including mosquitoes, ants, spiders, ticks, fleas, accidental invaders, rodents and insect pests, among others. We offer pest control and commercial pest control and we adapt them to better adapt to new needs.

The pest control service includes many types of insects, rodents and other wildlife. ABC can come to your home whenever you want, perform situation analysis and draw up an individual treatment plan to return to your home without parasites.

Ants are common in homes and gardens in the United States. Abc home and commercial will prepare an effective treatment plan and identify the types of ants that cause problems.

Bees and wasps make nests and nests near your home without you realizing it. Painful bites are dangerous for sensitive people who may be allergic. The commercial and commercial recommendation is that professionals choose the substance and carefully remove it to prevent them from shaking and leaving their nests. For bees, Abc home and commercials can refer to beekeepers in the area.

In Texas, there are many types of cockroaches that can invade your home or property. We recommend choosing and destroying them to end a number of highly invasive and hard-to-eliminate species.

Everyone can catch fleas outside and catch ticks. It is important that the professional analyzes the situation and develops a suitable treatment plan because some fleas and ticks are immune to certain types of treatments.

Spiders and scorpions in the San Antonio area can be irritating and sometimes dangerous. It would not be good to find scorpion bark, black widow spider or spider at home. Our certified professionals are trained to kill these spiders.

The climate in San Antonio is conducive to outdoor fun. But when a mosquito bites us, we receive a warning signal in the brain and we decide to act.

In San Antonio and the surrounding area, there are beautiful landscapes and green areas, which unfortunately contain a large variety of rodents and other wildlife that can enter our homes. Fortunately, you can get help with controlling rodents and animals with a call.

Commercial and commercial services are designed to rid your house of pests such as cockroaches, spiders, silverfish, wigs, ants, wasps, rodents and more. We take care of the house, the garage, and the patio and guarantee each of our services. If a problem occurs before the scheduled return date, please contact us and we will return immediately to address the area again.

We use pesticide treatments in all necessary places.

See original here:
How Live Chat Service Helps Connect Businesses with Customers - The Hear UP

Late last year the worlds first genetically modified (GM) cowpea was registered and approved for release to smallholder farmers in Nigeria. The new variety carries a microbial insecticidal gene making it resistant to a major pest that affects this crop.

The decision is significant because this will be the second GM crop commercialised in the country following Bt Cotton, and the first one that is a food crop. The release of a GM crop in Africa is particularly noteworthy as many countries on the continent are still wary of biotechnology.

It is important for another reason too: cowpea, also known as Black Eyed Pea, is a staple crop in the country and is an important source of protein for over 200 million people. Nigeria is also the worlds largest producer of cowpea. But it still has to import around 500,000 tonnes to meet internal demand. This is because the potential loss in yield due to insects is over 90%.

By controlling one of the major pests the cowpea pod-borer the country could become self-sufficient. It could also potentially help reduce rural poverty and hunger. Nigeria has a massive poverty problem more than 91 million people are estimated to live without enough food to eat.

The new variety, named Sampea 20-T, carries a microbial insecticidal gene from a bacterium and represents a biotechnology product that has been nearly 20 years in the making. It is fully resistant to a damaging pod-borer insect.

It was developed by an international team, led by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation in collaboration with the Commonwealth Industrial and Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in the US.

The gene used to develop this variety was provided by Bayer on a humanitarian basis, so that smallholder farmers could access it royalty free.

Theres been a very slow uptake of GM crops across the continent. The message of anti-GMO organisations sent from Europe has been an obstacle in many African countries. But thanks to science outreach efforts and community information sessions, the concerns about GM crops were left behind in this case to embrace their potential to solve critical food security issues.

Over the last 20 years some of the political resistance and public fear have been overcome, and several African countries including South Africa, Burkina Faso, Egypt and Sudan have introduced GM crops. Many more countries now have passed laws to allow the cultivation of GM crops.

The team that has developed Sampea 20-T was formed in response to requests from African cowpea breeders for a solution to the cowpea pod-borer, Maruca vitrata, a major pest of this crop in West Africa.

Developing the new variety using traditional breeding was not possible due to the lack of any resistant breeding stock. This means that there were no sources of natural resistance to insects in cowpea anywhere in the world. The only solution possible was to create a GM insect-resistant cowpea using biotechnology.

The partners, supported by the US Agency for International Development and also by the Rockefeller Foundation and the CSIRO, worked to develop a cowpea variety that would provide in-built protection against the pest, allowing a cheap, safe and practical solution to the problem.

The only option farmers have at the moment is to apply chemical insecticides to control the pest. These are expensive and can be dangerous if they arent familiar with how to use them safely, or dont have the necessary protective clothing.

The new variety carries a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This is a soil bacterium that can produce a natural insecticide which has been used by humans to control insect pests for over 80 years. It was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century by a Japanese biologist Shigetane Ishiwatari who found that it was killing silkworms. It was first used as an insecticide on flour moths in the 1930s, but it was in the 1980s that the use of Bt increased worldwide due to insects becoming resistant to many chemical insecticides.

The toxin produced by the bacterium is a crystalline inclusion (called crystal) in the Bt spores. There are many types of Bt crystals, and they have specific toxicity against an insect species, but are innocuous to other insects or animals. Bt crystals have been part of commercial insecticide formulations for decades and are the principal active ingredient of organic insecticides. With the adoption of gene technology, GM plants were produced by introducing in them the genes that encode the toxic crystal from Bt.

In 1995, the USA Environmental Protection Agency approved the commercial production and distribution of Bt crops (corn, cotton, potato).

Most of the corn and cotton grown around the world are Bt varieties. New Bt crops have been developed such the eggplant varieties in Bangladesh and soybean in Latin America.

The new cowpea variety is expected to be taken up by a number of countries in West Africa including Ghana, Burkina Faso and Niger.

And work on new varieties continues. A second generation of improved cowpea carrying more than one type of Bt gene is under development. This, together with an appropriate insect resistance management plan for the right use of this product, will help guarantee long-lasting protection against the pod-borer and future-proofing the benefits of this biotech product.

Link:
Nigeria has given a new GM cowpea variety the go ahead. Why it matters - The Conversation Africa